Robot uses smooth moves to grab a coffee

Who needs an assistant when robots are developing the skills required for a coffee run? Thanks to a new system developed by Matthew Walters and his team from MIT, a robot can move with more grace when faced with the difficult problem of grabbing an object.

In this video, you can compare the movement of its arms using a current system with the new version. Instead of simply choosing a path that avoids obstacles, the new algorithm visualises spheres of open space around each possible access point. It then builds a map around these locations, tweaking the size of the area around obstacles to create a more fluid and efficient route.